We must fervently hope there are no more by-elections. The country simply can’t afford them.

I am not talking about the cost of running the by-election – although they’re not proving cheap. Last year’s Northland by-election cost just under a million dollars. That’s $30 a vote.

But the real expense is they make politicians dig deeper into our pockets.

The Northland by-election spooked National into promising upgrades to 10 bridges. The cost was put between $32 million and $69m.

Labour Leader Andrew Little dismissed National’s announcement as “pork barrel and a desperate bid to win the confidence of the Northland people”. He was quite correct in his assessment.

The disappointing thing is that National has stuck with the bridges despite losing to Winston Peters.

Their message should have been clearer: no votes, no bridges. The pork can’t arrive regardless of how people vote: that undermines the entire rationale of pork barrel politics.

Hide’s political radar must be down. To deny Northland its pork, National would have all but guaranteed another loss in the general election. Besides, taking things away isn’t John Key’s thing. Read more »

Mr Key says there is some evidence sugar taxes work, but “the government’s not doing that at the moment”.

“The problem with sugar tax is: So you put a sugar tax on fizzy drinks fair enough, OK. But what about everything else sugar is in?” he told TV3’s Paul Henry show.

But he said obesity has replaced smoking as the long-term issue for New Zealand.

“We do need to resolve these issues, but it’s a combination of education and exercise.”

Mr Key hinted the plan would work with schools to target exercise and dietary programmes.

The Ministry of Health has been working on the plan to combat obesity for almost a year.

The government’s chief science adviser Sir Peter Gluckman said last month evidence food taxes work was weak but they send signals.

Education, layout of supermarkets and companies reducing sugar and salt levels in food also make a difference, he said.

And that’s happening, and has been happening, for decades. Low sugar and sugar-free versions of Coke are sitting right next to the sugary one. It’s your decision to buy the one you think is right for you – they are all the same price. Read more »

The Taxpayers’ Union has been jilted by Steve Joyce’s MBIE now that the fuss has died down.

The head of the government department that spent $140,474 on a TV screen, $67,339 on a sign and $5,480 on an arts consultant for its new Wellington offices, has retracted an offer made to the Taxpayers’ Union to meet about the Ministry’s spending. Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, says:

“After we expressed public concerns last week about the Ministry’s spending, MBIE officials told us that the CEO, David Smol, would be willing to meet and discuss the wasteful spending within the Ministry. Now the media heat has died down, they refuse to talk.”

“We wanted to have a serious meeting away from the media to constructively engage on how the Ministry is spending taxpayers’ money. Instead of keeping their word, the Ministry is once again running from accountability.” Read more »

The controversial $1.5 million “lighthouse” sculpture on Queens Wharf is being made more in keeping with its state house roots.

After two years of artistic problems and delays, Auckland Council has finally released the first public images of the sculpture, based on a modest Mt Eden state house.

Artist Michael Parekowhai has abandoned plans for a Venetian crystal chandelier weighing 4.5 tonnes and depicting a glowing garden of native flowers, birds and insects at a cost of $705,000. It will be replaced with 10 small chandeliers in a Matariki constellation, or Pleiades star cluster, referencing the Maori New Year, most of which will be made in New Zealand.

Last night, council chief operation officer Dean Kimpton said the budget remained $1.5 million, but there was no longer any cost to ratepayers.

The project will be funded from a $1 million gift from Barfoot & Thompson, interest of about $100,000, a $100,000 donation believed to come from arts patron Dame Jenny Gibbs and an anonymous donation.

Previously, the council agreed to underwrite the $500,000 shortfall after Barfoot & Thompson made a $1 million donation in March 2013 marking its 90 years in business.

It’s good to know that the Auckland Council are no longer pouring $500,000 of rate payers money into this project, but what nobody seems to realise is that there is still a huge operational cost that has already been incurred, and will continue to be incurred that the rate payer is still paying for. Read more »

The practice of downgrading airline tickets to take another passenger along – as used by a trio of MPs on a trip to Europe – is off the table for public servants.

Three MPs travelling with Parliament Speaker David Carter’s delegation in Europe are believed to have traded their single business class flight tickets for two economy class tickets, allowing them to take spouses along on the trip.

So here is the circular argument:

Hey, you’re spending too much of our tax money!

– yes, nearly $100,000 of the total $138,000 cost is for business fares

LUXURY!

– no, we need to be fresh when we get off the plane. this is justified in this case

But you allowed the MPs to travel economy and spread the cost so they could take their wife, husband, spouse, significant other or favourite farm animal. So now they won’t arrive fresh?

– …

The Taxpayers’ Union has said it raises questions over whether the trip is work or a junket.

The State Services Commission (SSC) says the practice would not be acceptable in the public service.

Sandi Beatie, the deputy commissioner, said the commission’s expectation was that when public servants had to travel, only their individual travel should be covered. The only exclusion was that the cost of relocating family was covered if a public servant was moving.

“Any ‘downgrading’ of flights in the manner you mention by public servants would not be appropriate. SSC has no record of ‘downgrading flights’ being considered acceptable or any directive on the issue,” Beatie said.

The commission’s standards on integrity and conduct stated that officials “use our organisation’s resources carefully and only for intended purposes”.

By definition, if an MP can travel to do business on economy fares, then we should send them with economy fares.

Or, they have to admit that it’s really just a joyride at the taxpayer’s expense.